On Saturday I returned to Minneapolis from Rochester via 52/55 and when I got to Lake it was great to see all the density that has been built up. I felt like my first urban welcome as I entered the city.

I was just looking at the plan for subsequent phases on the site and there's eventually going to be 3 more 6 story buildings and 1 at 4 stories. That's going to be a lot of housing within a block of the LRT station.

I was also just at Target the other day and paused for a moment in the parking lot to shake my head. What a shame over there.

The first phase of apartments seem to be coming along really nice. I was over there a few weeks ago and got some good pictures. Anybody know when the new ABE building is scheduled to open? I am very eager to see the old one demolished and replaced with something more urban friendly.

In regards to the second, third, and fourth phase of apartments, can they build any more of the phases without having to wait until the existing education building is demolished?

I hope they give tours of the new ABE building. I would love to get a chance to go in and see it.

MPS has to start paying rent at the old ABE building I believe in November so they are incentivized to be out of there by this fall. The old building does need to be demolished and the whole area will be regraded down to near street level for the next phase to get started. Phase 2 is supposed to include the new plaza for the Midtown Farmers Market and at least one new residential building, possibly two at the same time.

It certainly seems that things are lining up for phase 2 of this project to be underway next year. MPS will be out of the existing building by late November and the first residents are scheduled to move into the new residential building December 1st. According to an article in the most recent Corcoran News by the market manager the Midtown Farmers Market is looking at alternate locations for summer 2019.

That said there are a lot of stakeholders involved with moving phase 2 forward so it may take a while to get all of the details ironed out.

Developers are bringing forward plans for a three-building apartment project with 432 units at the southwest corner of the intersection of East Lake Street and Hiawatha Avenue.

The project is the second phase of the L&H Station development — it lies near the Lake Street/Midtown Blue Line station. The first phase, a $150 million mixed-use building, is opening to residents this Saturday, with a building that touches 22nd Avenue and has 123 units.

The final 3 residential buildings and the public plaza are all included in phase 2. Last week fencing went up around the old MPS Adult Education building, scaffolding is also going up. Demolition should be underway soon.

Ride by this building on the train every week. Here are a few pictures from this morning. The old school building is completely demolished. The land is completely flattened out. Looks like they are ready to start the new building construction.